Home Improvements That Increase Your Home’s Resell Price

by: Nicolette Dial

One of the best things you can do as a homeowner is to use some of your home equity dollars to finance home improvements. Not only will the additions make your home more attractive and pleasant to live in, but certain projects will bring a significant return on investment when the time comes to sell your home. The following 5 projects have been proven to add extra dollars to the average home resell prices. The statistics are courtesy of “Remodeling Magazine.” ROI stands for “return on investment”  1. Minor Kitchen Remodeling: Average cost = $8,655. Average ROI = 88%.  A minor kitchen remodel usually includes replacing the cabinets and countertops with higher quality materials or increasing the total amount of cabinet storage and countertop surface area. It would also most likely include the addition or upgrade of appliances such as garbage disposals, built in microwaves, dishwashers, and higher quality refrigerators.  2. Bathroom Remodel: Average cost = $9,135. Average ROI = 81%  This project would include things such as installing attractive countertops such as stone, granite, or marble. The fixtures would need to be upgraded and the shower and bathtubs should be resurfaced. Also, any tiling would need to be grouted. Other things that could increase the value of a bathroom remodel would be adding an extra sink basin, converting a bathtub to a Jacuzzi, or installing additional showerheads.  3. Major Kitchen Remodel: Average cost = 31,090. Average ROI = 71%  The major kitchen remodel is very costly and will take much more work than the minor remodel. The major version will require all appliances to be replaced. Whenever possible, appliances should be made in stainless steel. The countertops should be made of stone or granite. The floors might be replaced with high quality laminate flooring. The addition of a kitchen island or a centrally located stove could work. For a major kitchen remodel, you should consult a contractor and possible an interior designer. This is definitely not a do it yourself project.  4. Outside Deck: Average cost = $8,022. Average ROI = 55%  The deck is self-explanatory. The larger the deck, the higher the return on investment will be. The deck should obviously be coated with a nice looking finish that matches the outside of your home, and needs to be treated with a high quality water seal.  5. Hardwood Flooring: Average cost = Varies. Average ROI = Varies  The cost and return on hardwood flooring varies greatly based upon the total amount of rooms and surface area is remodeled. Also, the choice in the variety of hardwood will impact the value. Certain woods like Oak and Cherry are more valuable than others. Also, it is very important to properly maintain your hardwood floors. Flooring that is scraped, scratched, dull, or water stained can actually decrease the value of your home. If you have active children, you might want to stick to carpeting.  About the author: Nicollette Dial is a freelance author who comes from a family of contractors. She contributes to several home improvement websites, including http://www.allhardwoodflooring.info Circulated by Article Emporium

 

Home Remodeling Business

by: Dan Noyes

Need for home remodeling  The need for home remodeling is on the rise as many people like the neighborhood they live in and the affordability of their existing homes. By incurring a little cost they can remodel their old houses to increase space and add new amenities. The need for remodeling is detailed below.  Financial gains  While home remodeling can be an expensive affair, it is reasonable as compared to purchasing a new house. Shifting into a new house incurs costs in the form of moving expenses, closing costs and the agent's commission, which is saved here. Remodeling adds equity and capital gains can be deferred till the property is sold. In addition, tax laws make remodeling more attractive to the investor by limiting the tax write-offs allowed on new investment property.  Convenience  Besides the cost, even the inconvenience of shifting into a new neighborhood is removed. Often families are adjusted to the comfort of staying in a familiar neighborhood, which is well connected to facilities. Home remodeling provides the comforts of a new modern home in the same space.  Impressions  Most people form impressions about you and your home in the first 5 minutes of being there. To create a look of class and a feeling of warmth, home remodeling is a must. Home remodeling not just creates a good impression for the visitors; it creates a good feel and increases the equity of your house to potential buyers also.  Space  It is understood that the need for space has increased from 1400 to 1500 sq. ft in the last century to over 2000 sq. ft today. While changing into a new house can be expensive, remodeling the house helps increase space within budget. A minor change in the layout can help enhance space and increase place for extra cabinets, storage space and shelves.  Utilities  With the change in times, needs have evolved too. Today families cook together in kitchens, and thus storage space, appliance counters, separate countertops etc. are required. Luxury baths and walk-in closets have also become a norm. These evolving needs can only be answered by remodeling the house to modern tastes. Home remodeling allows homeowners to enjoy the comfort of their old home with amenities like better lighting, modern appliances and more storage space. It allows homeowners to enhance function, safety and quality of their interior spaces.  http://www.totalremodeling.com/sitemap.php  About the author: Dan Noyes  http://www.totalremodeling.com Circulated by Article Emporium

Adding Value To Your Home With Landscaping

by: Nick Leonard

When most people think about increasing the value of their home the first thing that comes to mind is interior renovations. Things like new carpeting, kitchen cabinets, or new appliances, but an often overlooked way to make your house value go up is to landscape the yard. With just a little effort you can drastically change the entire appearance of the outside of your home. Some shrubs along the outside of the house will give it an entirely different look, and a stone walkway is something even a landscape novice should be able to do themselves with a little instruction. If your ready to make some major change how about a back yard patio with a brick barbeque pit. This is great for entertaining and would be a major selling point when it comes time to sell the home. Decorative landscape also gives your home a unique quality that isn’t found very often. Things like garden statues, water fountains, pedestal bird baths, and stone figures can be picked up at most garden centers and make your yard really stand out. One of the best places to find one of a kind pieces is second hand stores and garage sales. Old items such a copper tubs or wooden benches that many would consider junk are very popular right now, and many places that specialize in such item are charging hundreds or even thousands for these things but if you’re a bargain hunter and keep an eye out you can find some great deals. While you can easily spend thousands of dollars landscaping your home you don’t necessarily have to. In fact if your willing to do the work yourself a couple hundred dollars on plants and some garden decorations are really all you need to increases the value of you home by up to 2%-7% . About the author: The author has been involved in landscaping since he was sixteen, and has recently put up a website landscape-secrets.com which is all about landscaping Circulated by Article Emporium

Add Value to Your House by Creating Visual Space

by: Sharon Wong

All homebuyers want as much house for their money as they can get. Many buyers are looking for a larger home because they've outgrown their current one, and especially desire more closet and cupboard space as well as larger rooms. Visual space makes your home appear larger by allowing the buyer's eye to move from one side of the room to the other without interruption, giving the illusion of more space and openness. In contrast, a cluttered room stops the eye repeatedly and gives the illusion of less space. In order to make your home appear larger, decluttering and removing unnecessary furniture is essential. The goal is to create a comforting atmosphere in which buyers can imagine their furniture and belongings easily fitting in. Once a buyer has this image in their mind, you're one step closer to a sale! Follow these easy tips to add space and openness: 1. Pack away family photographs and small accessories. Family photographs make your house personal, but you want the buyer to see the house as theirs, so pack away all family pictures and mementos, including awards, trophies, plaques, etc. Small accessories (knickknacks, collections, figurines) distract the buyer by focusing on many small items instead of large, open spaces. These items should also be stored away. 2. Take small pictures off the walls. Small pictures break up the space of a wall and cause the buyer to stop and look at the pictures instead of allowing their eyes to see the wall without interruption. Keep large pictures above areas you want to highlight, such as over the bed, fireplace or sofa. 3. Leave accessories that add color and interest. A room without any accessories feels cold and sterile. Large accessories such as books, chunky candles and silk flowers should be left to give the room warmth and character. 4. Store small and unnecessary furniture. Many pieces of furniture, such as TV trays, end tables, and magazine racks can be put in a storage facility or at a friend's until you move. This immediately creates space between the larger pieces and makes the room appear more spacious. Now is a good time to decide what you'll take with you when you move and what you want to get rid of. Keep larger pieces of furniture in place (sofas, dining room tables) so the buyers can get a better idea of how their furniture will look in the space. 5. Clear off countertops. Remove all personal items in the bathrooms and kitchen. Items such as makeup, medicine and toothbrushes can be left in baskets on a shelf, to be brought out when you need them. In the kitchen, remove salt and pepper shakers, the dish rack, and small items on windowsills and on top of the stove. Clear countertops of all but large items such as canisters, a colorful cookie jar or a decorative plate. Have as few items as possible on the countertops to give the illusion of extra space. 6. Show off your closets. Perhaps number one on the buyer's "must have" list is more closet space. To make even small closets appear large, show shelf and clothes pole space by packing up and storing out-of-season clothes and sporting equipment, and donating unneeded items to charity. Now is the time to sort through all that clutter and decide what to keep and what to discard. You'll be amazed at how big your closets will look to you and your buyers! You may think after all these changes that your house doesn't look like your own, but remember, the house you sell is not the same as the house you live in. By creating visual space, you are allowing the buyer to easily imagine integrating their life into your home - the first step to selling your home faster and for more money! About the author: Sharon Wong is President of Ready Set Sell(r) and an accomplished interior designer. Since 1991, her company has helped home sellers get the quickest sale and the highest price for their homes. Sharon also teaches Realtors(r) how to ready their customers' homes for a fast and profitable sale. Her company offers in-home consultations, seminars, videos and articles to help in the home selling process. For more information about her services and products, visit her website at http://www.ReadySetSell.com Circulated by Article Emporium